Hello, everyone -- I have another Beautiful Background card to share with you on this very rainy Spring weekend we're having here in south Texas!
You may remember this technique I shared last summer here in the CLASSroom -- I called it Copic "Watercolor" Background, using Copic Various Ink Refills squirted onto an acrylic block, then "stamp" the acrylic block onto Glossy Cardstock. The Glossy Cardstock helps the Copic ink stay on the surface of the paper, allowing it to run and blend together -- much like watercoloring with watercolors or dye-based inks do.
(All bold products are linked below in the supply section).
If you don't care for the look of the Glossy Cardstock, I discovered Ranger's Specialty Stamping Paper has the same technique affect and only a slight subtle sheen to it ... I love it!
Here are the quick steps to create my rainy background:
1. Drop Copic Various Ink Refills (here I used BG01, BG53, B23) onto an acrylic stamp block. Spritz the inks with Copic Colorless Blender Solution to get them to move around and run together a little.
2. Either turn the acrylic block over and stamp the color onto the Specialty Stamping Paper OR press the paper onto the acrylic block to pick up the color.
3. Take a look at your finished image. If you think it may need a little more color blending, spritz the background with more Copic Colorless Blender Solution or do as I did, with the "hole" that was left at the bottom right of my image, and ...
4. just squeeze a little drop of B23 Various Ink directly onto the paper ... instant water puddle!
There will probably be enough ink left on the acrylic block to get another stamping ... just spritz the block with a little more Colorless Blender Solution and stamp again! Below is the second stamping I was able to get:
Next, I stamped this sweet My Favorite Things Sunny Thoughts Pure Innocence girl with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink onto Copic X-Press It Blending Card and colored her with these Copic Sketch Markers:
1. Color skin with E00 and shadows with E21.
2. Color rain slicker, hat and boots with YR21 and shadows with YR23.
3. Color hair with E31, E34, and E35.
4. The rain slicker yellow was looking a little too dark and mustard colored to go with the brighter colors of my background, so I lightened it up with Y08 all over.
5. Color the top of the umbrella with RV52 and RV55; color the under part of the umbrella with darker RV63 and RV66.
6. (not photographed) Color the umbrella handle and soles of rain boots with C1, C4, and C6.
Next, I trimmed out the girl and her umbrella and mounted her with Copic X-Press It Foam Tape to the background (standing in a puddle of rain water!), which was adhered to a Neenah Solar White 110 lb. card base.
Lastly, I stamped the sentiment onto Bazzill 40 lb. Vellum, die cut it with MFT's Fishtail Flags Layers STAX (largest die) and sewed it to the upper left corner of the card.
You can find my other "Beautiful Background" posts here:
1 - Beautiful Backgrounds: Copic Airbrush System on a stamped background
2 - Beautiful Backgrounds 2: Stamping on Inlaid Die Cuts
3 - Beautiful Backgrounds 3: Watercolor Resist
Thanks so much for joining me today ... I hope you are staying dry! ~ Sharon
